48th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD)

The ECDD is a scientific advisory body to WHO that consists of an independent group of experts in the field of drugs and medicines and drug dependence liability.

The 48th Expert Committee on Drug Dependence meeting will be held from 20-22nd October 2025. A public information session will be held on 20 October 2025.

This meeting will consider the following substances and make recommendations for their scheduling to the CND:

• the coca leaf;
• the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-FUBINACA;
• and the novel synthetic opioids N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene (Isotonitazepyne) and N-Desethyl etonitazene.

The WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) is the body responsible for conducting reviews towards the scheduling, re-scheduling or de-scheduling of psychoactive substances. The recommendations of the WHO's ECDD are voted upon by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), typically at its March session.

This meeting marks a pivotal step in the international community’s coca review, offering the first WHO critical assessment in nearly 75 years. It could correct historical injustices, reconcile drug control with Indigenous rights, and reshape treaty schedules to permit traditional uses while maintaining controls on cocaine production.

Registration and further information will be made available in September.